Eating Quality Research Articles

The construction of a sheepmeat eating quality prediction model for Australian lamb

The current sheep Meat Standards Australia (MSA) model is a pathways system designed to improve the overall eating quality of Australian lamb, yet it is unable to predict individual consumer-based eating quality scores for specific cuts. This paper describes the methodology of using consumer sensory scores to create an objective composite eating quality prediction score linked to individual quality grades for different cuts. This methodology accounts for objective carcass measures that are being commercialised within the industry, such as intramuscular fat percentage and a measure of lean meat yield percentage. The model demonstrated that through utilising these carcass grading traits, an eating quality prediction can be made with an accuracy of 75 % and 72 % for the grill and roast cooking method respectively, however individual consumer variation remained substantial. The model will allow the supply chain to allocate cuts to different marketing strategies (branding) based on their eating quality performance whilst also reducing the chances of consumers being offered products that do not meet their expectations.

Mindful Eating and Diet Quality Among US Adults With Lower Incomes

BackgroundMindful eating, a practice that encourages attention to sensations and awareness during the eating experience, has shown effectiveness in inducing positive behavioral changes. Mindful eating practices have been examined in relation to energy intake (ie, quantity of food) but to a lesser extent to the quality of that food, hence, it is crucial to comprehensively understand the association between mindful eating and diet quality. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the association between mindful eating and diet quality among US adults with lower incomes and to examine heterogeneity in the associations by gender identity. DesignThis study employs a cross-sectional study design. Participants/settingDuring December 2022, a national convenience sample of 1798 US adults with lower incomes, recruited through Prime Panels, completed a web-based survey. Main outcome measuresDiet quality was measured using the 30-day Prime Diet Quality Score screener (PDQS-30D) (score range = 0 to 126). A higher score reflects higher diet quality. Statistical analyses performedAssociations between the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (score range = 1 to 4) and its 4 factors (Awareness, External Cues, Emotional Response, and Distraction) in relation to diet quality were examined using multivariable regression models, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. ResultsThe mean Mindful Eating Questionnaire score was 2.30; the mean PDQS-30D score was 50.2. The associations between Mindful Eating Questionnaire scores and PDQS-30D scores were significantly modified by gender identity. Among men, a higher Mindful Eating Questionnaire score reflecting more mindful eating (β = 3.81, 95% CI 2.19 to 5.43) was associated with higher PDQS-30D scores. In addition, a higher Awareness factor score (β = 3.21, 95% CI 2.48 to 3.93), a higher External Cues factor score indicating less response to external cues (β = .76, 95% CI 0.01 to 1.52), and a higher Distraction factor score indicating less distraction (β = 1.09, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.90), were all associated with higher PDQS-30D scores. Among women, a higher Awareness factor score was associated with higher PDQS-30D scores (β = 2.50, 95% CI 1.78 to 3.22); and a higher Emotional Response factor score (ie, eating less in response to emotional eating) was associated with lower PDQS-30D scores (β = –.85, 95% CI –1.58 to –.12). ConclusionsMindful eating and its factors are associated with a higher diet quality among US adults with lower incomes, particularly among men. Future longitudinal and intervention studies are warranted to better understand these associations among adults with lower incomes, as an understudied population in the mindful eating literature.

Varietal differences in the yield and quality of noodles produced from early-season rice and associated crop traits

Abstract Early-season rice often faces limited market competition due to its lower quality, which diminishes farmers' incentives to cultivate it. Developing specific early-season rice varieties tailored for rice noodle production represents a practical solution to this challenge. However, limited information exists on the varietal differences regarding the yield and quality of noodles produced from early-season rice and their determinants. To address this gap, this study conducted field experiments with 15 early-season rice varieties during 2022 and 2023. The results revealed significant varietal differences in rice noodle yield per unit of land area and cooking and eating (texture) qualities of the noodles, with the variety Zhuliangyou 4024 standing out for its ability to produce rice noodles that are both high yielding and of superior cooking and eating qualities. Correlation analysis showed the yield of rice noodles per unit of land area was significantly related to grain yield per unit of land, which in turn was linked to grain weight. Additionally, the analysis showed the cooking loss rate of rice noodles and their chewiness were significantly correlated with both amylose and amylopectin content, whereas the hardness, springiness, and resilience of cooked rice noodles were significantly correlated only with amylose content. However, partial correlation analysis indicated that all these quality traits were significantly correlated solely with amylose content when controlling the influence of other chemical properties. These findings indicate that selecting early-season rice varieties with high grain weight and high amylose content can lead to the production of high-yield and high-quality rice noodles.

Association of psychological distress with health-related quality of life in Asian adolescents seeking obesity treatment.

There is limited research on the psychosocial health of Asian adolescents undergoing obesity treatment. Our study examined the predictors of psychological distress, disordered eating and poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in these adolescents and the associations between them. A total of 82 adolescents aged 11-17 years were recruited from the Weight Management Clinic in KK Women's and Children's Hospital between June 2022 and January 2023. Participants completed the following questionnaires: (a) Young Person's Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (YP-Core) assessing for psychological distress, (b) Children's Eating Attitude Test (ChEAT) evaluating for disordered eating behaviours, and (c) Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) measuring HRQoL. Participating adolescents had a mean body mass index of 31.9 ± 5.1 kg/m2. Of the participants, 40% reported significantly symptomatic psychological distress (YP-Core score ≥14) and 16% were at risk of eating disorders (ChEAT score ≥20). A higher YP-Core score was the only significant determinant of poorer HRQoL, after controlling for demographic variables and ChEAT scores. Malay (regression coefficient: 6.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6-12.6, P = 0.031) and Indian (regression coefficient: 8.9, 95% CI: 3.8-14.0, P = 0.001) adolescents were more likely to report disordered eating and psychological distress, respectively, as compared to Chinese adolescents. Adolescents whose parent(s) had obesity (regression coefficient: 3.4, 95% CI: 0.1-6.7, P = 0.043) were also more likely to experience greater psychological distress. Understanding the determinants of psychological distress, disordered eating and HRQoL will facilitate targeted screening and management of the psychosocial complications of adolescent obesity.

Assessment of Changes in Sensory Characteristics of Strawberries during 5-Day Storage through Correlation between Human Senses and Electronic Senses.

In the last decade, significant efforts have been made to predict sensory characteristics using electronic senses, such as the electronic nose (e-nose) and the electronic tongue (e-tongue), and discuss their relationship to the eating quality evaluated by human panels. This study was conducted (1) to characterize the aroma and taste profiles of strawberries over a 5-day storage period (4 °C) using both electronic senses and human panels and (2) to correlate the electronic sense data with human panel data. A total of 10 sensory attributes of strawberries, including 7 aroma and 3 taste attributes, were analyzed by a descriptive sensory panel (n = 16) over the five days. Although the human panel did not find significant differences in the intensities of the strawberry attributes over the five days, the intensity ratings showed an increasing or decreasing trend over the storage period. However, the e-nose and the e-tongue discriminated each of the storage days of the strawberry samples. Furthermore, the partial least square regression coefficients of determination (R2) indicated that the e-nose and the e-tongue were highly predictive in their evaluation of the intensities of all the descriptive sensory attributes. Lastly, the concentrations of furaneol, one of the key volatiles imparting a distinct ripe strawberry aroma, were determined using an e-nose to correlate with the intensities of aroma attributes evaluated by the panel. A significant positive Pearson's correlation coefficient was found with the intensities of overripe aroma. The findings indicate the potential of electronic senses to determine sensory characteristics and their excellent capability to predict the eating quality of strawberries.

Regulation of eating quality, sensory aroma and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline biosynthesis in fragrant rice through foliage application of aromatic compounds

The experiment was conducted at the research area of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University from 15 June 2022, to 25 November 2022 (Aman season) to evaluate the impact of aromatic compound application on fragrant rice. The experiment included two factors: factor 1 comprised four rice varieties (BRRI dhan34, BRRI dhan70, BRRI dhan80, and Tulshimala), and factor 2 comprised application of four aromatic compounds (L-proline, α-ketoglutaric acid, γ-aminobutyric acid, and sodium selenite). A randomized complete block design was employed with three replications. Results revealed significant effects of aromatic compound applications and/or rice varieties on grain eating qualities, sensory aroma and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which were superior in Tulshimala and BRRI dhan34. α-Ketoglutaric acid and sodium selenite application improved water uptake ratio, amylose and amylopectin content, alkali spreading value, gel consistency, protein content, sensory aroma score, and kernel stickiness and tenderness of fragrant rice. Moreover, α-ketoglutaric acid application led to enhanced 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline content in Tulshimala and BRRI dhan34. Several eating quality and fragrance parameters were found either positively or negatively correlated. Apparent amylose content exhibited a negative correlation with stickiness of kernel. Sensory aroma and grain 2-AP content were also positively correlated.

Unhealthy Eating Habits and Determinants of Diet Quality in Primary Healthcare Professionals in Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: The aim of this work was to understand the factors influencing the prevalence of dietary behaviors, as well as determinants of unhealthy eating and diet quality among primary care physicians and nurses in Poland. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 161 doctors and 331 nurses was conducted in the years 2020–2022 in primary healthcare settings. Results: Unhealthy eating habits affected GPs aged 40–54 years (42.9%), females (64.3%), those of normal body weight (67.9%), representing private medical practice (67.9%), who had over 20 years of work experience (42.8%). Similarly, among the group of nurses, unhealthy eating habits were reported in subjects aged 40–54 (46.5%), individuals with normal body weights (49.5%), those with one chronic disease (38.4%), representing public medical practice (63.6%), with over 20 years of work experience (40.4%), seeing ≤100 patients during the work week (84.8%). The univariable logistic regression analyses for unhealthy dietary habits showed that overweight GPs had lower odds of unhealthy eating habits (OR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.11–1.08; p < 0.05). Among the nurses, the odds of unhealthy eating habits increased with the number of years of work. Nurses with 10–20 years of work experience had 1.23 times greater odds of unhealthy eating habits, while people working for more than 20 years had 1.81 times greater odds of unhealthy eating habits than individuals working for a period shorter than ten years (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 0.68–2.23; p > 0.05 vs. OR = 1.81; 95% CI: p < 0.05). The multivariable logistic regression analysis did not show statistically significant results. Conclusions: These issues should be addressed when planning educational activities aimed at supporting healthcare professionals in implementing lifestyle changes.

Connections between eating psychopathology, loneliness, and quality of life: insights from a multi-center study.

Eating disorders (ED) involve dysfunctional attitudes towards food intake, affecting physical and psychosocial well-being. These disorders significantly impact various domains of life and can lead to a decrease in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Recent studies emphasize the importance of addressing HRQoL in ED treatment, particularly in the context of social isolation and loneliness, but this aspect is currently poorly evaluated. A sample of 220 people with an ED was enrolled for the study from different centers specialized in the treatment of ED and compared to 151 people from the general population. Different validated questionnaires were used to evaluate eating psychopathology, HRQoL, and loneliness. Partial correlation analyzes adjusted for marital status and regressions were used to evaluate the relationships between constructs and the differences between groups. Higher feelings of loneliness were associated with a poorer HRQoL in patients and controls. In the ED group, both loneliness and eating psychopathology were significant predictors of HRQoL. Meanwhile, the duration of the disorder predicted HRQoL specifically in underweight patients, and BMI was a predictor of HRQoL in individuals with normal or above-normal weight. These findings highlight the importance of considering both HRQoL and loneliness in EDs, particularly among younger individuals. This approach aligns with the increasing focus on the role of interpersonal relationships in the recovery process. Additionally, the data confirm a link between weight and loneliness, suggesting that this connection, especially the differences between underweight patients and those of other weights, deserves further investigation.

Exploring the egg-mediated-enhancement mechanism against the autoclaving-induced textural deterioration of instant wet noodles

To improve the eating quality of instant wet noodles sterilized via autoclaving, liquid whole egg (LWE) was used as a reinforcer in the noodle recipe and its enhancement mechanism was evaluated. The results revealed that autoclaving significantly decreased the tensile distances of noodles (p < 0.05). The extent of textural deterioration increased with increasing autoclaving temperature. However, the addition of LWE compensated this deterioration. Moreover, LWE inhibited protein unfolding during autoclaving by crosslinking egg proteins with gliadin. The chemical interaction results revealed that the concentration of disulfide bonds increased from 48.95 to 94.96 μmol/g when 20 g/100 g LWE was added to the noodle recipe accompanied by a high proportion of stable conformations (gauche−gauche−gauche), which were transformed to a less stable conformation with increasing autoclaving temperature. A higher concentration of disulfide bonds and stable conformations in instant wet noodles made with LWE inhibited the unfolding of the gluten structure upon autoclaving, stabilizing the secondary structure and contributing to a more compact network upon autoclaving.

Implicit theories of health predict engagement in healthy lifestyles among Chinese early adolescents: the mediating effect of future self-continuity

ABSTRACT Engagement in healthy lifestyles is pivotal for early adolescents’ growth and healthy development. Despite burgeoning research on the determinants of healthy lifestyles among adolescents, there is a dearth of research investigating the role of adolescents’ health mindsets. This study examined whether and how implicit theories of health and future self-continuity affect adolescents’ (N = 440; 49.5% girls; M age = 10.8, SD = 0.6) engagement in healthy lifestyles. The results indicated that implicit theories of health and future self-continuity accounted for 2.5–5.8% of the variances in behaviour indicators (i.e. (un)healthy eating, physical activity, and sleep quality) and more than 20.3% of the variances in mental well-being indicators (i.e. flourishing and emotional balance) of healthy lifestyles among adolescents. Future self-continuity explained the positive effects of implicit theories of health on adolescents’ engagement in healthy lifestyles. The results have implications for tailoring effective interventions to promote healthy living among adolescents.

Meat tenderness in Australian lamb: Data editing, environmental variation and their effects in genetic parameter estimation

Breeding for meat quality increases the value of lambs and requires reliable genetic parameters to achieve balanced genetic progress. Meat tenderness, accomplished by selecting for lower shear force, is an important eating quality trait because of its relationship with consumer satisfaction. Factors influencing shear force, include the pH and temperature decline post-mortem which can contribute towards higher shear force values and increased variation across contemporary groups. This study explored if genetic parameters for shear force change when post slaughter covariates and heterogeneous variance are corrected for, using data from 32,223 animals from different sheep breeds. Results showed that removing extreme individuals and contemporary groups with high mean shear force values reduced residual variance, followed by a smaller reduction in additive genetic variance and little effect on heritability. Results show that edited data performed better at predicting progeny performance and reduced potential bias introduced in the genetic evaluation due to data quality. The effect of including post-slaughter covariates in the genetic analysis was tested by estimating different model predictability through regression of estimated breeding values against offspring performance, showing that the model including hot carcass weight performed better followed by the one including both carcass weight and C-site fat depth. Our results highlight that historic and current in-plant recording practices do not provide the capacity to account for non-genetic factors associated with abattoir environment that might be impacting the ability to accurately calculate shear force breeding values. In that sense, genetic evaluation can be improved by applying more rigorous data editing.

Improvement of Quality and Disease Resistance for a Heavy-Panicle Hybrid Restorer Line, R600, in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) by Gene Pyramiding Breeding.

The utilization of heavy-panicle hybrid rice exemplifies the successful integration of architectural enhancement and heterosis, which has been widely adopted in the southwest rice-producing area of China. Iterative improvement in disease resistance and grain quality of heavy-panicle hybrid rice varieties is crucial to promote their sustainable utilization. Here, we performed a molecular design breeding strategy to introgress beneficial alleles of broad-spectrum disease resistance and grain quality into a heavy-panicle hybrid backbone restorer line Shuhui 600 (R600). We successfully developed introgression lines through marker-assisted selection to pyramid major genes (Wxb + ALKA-GC + Pigm + Xa23) derived from three parents (Huanghuazhan, I135, I488), which significantly enhance grain quality and confer resistance to rice blast and bacterial blight (BB). The improved parental R600 line (iR600) exhibited superior grain quality and elevated disease resistance while maintaining the heavy-panicle architecture and high-yield capacity of R600. Moreover, the iR600 was crossed with male sterility line 608A to obtain a new heavy-panicle hybrid rice variety with excellent eating and cooking quality (ECQ) and high yield potential. This study presents an effective breeding strategy for rice breeders to expedite the improvement of grain quality and disease resistance in heavy-panicle hybrid rice.

Australian and United States Consumer Acceptance of Beef Brisket Cooked Using the Low and Slow Barbeque Method.

Meat Standards Australia (MSA) sensory protocols have been effectively utilized in beef for international consumers employing several cooking methods. Our objective was to compare the consumer response of Australian and American consumers to paired beef brisket samples utilizing a newly developed low and slow cooking method. Briskets were collected from Australian carcasses with diverse eating quality. Half of the briskets (n = 24) were retained in Australia and their pair was exported to Texas for consumer sensory testing. Naïve consumers (Australia; n = 240) and familiar consumers (USA; n = 240) evaluated paired barbequed briskets for tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking, and overall liking from 0 to 100 using a visual analogue scale, and a weighted composite meat quality score was later calculated. Australian consumers scored briskets lower for tenderness (-4.84 ± 1.70 points) and juiciness (-4.44 ± 1.55 points) and higher for flavor liking (3.48 ± 1.58 points); however, there was no difference between the countries for overall liking (p = 0.75) and combined meat quality score (p = 0.88). Differences between Australian and US consumers' evaluations indicate that there is an impact of cultural background, potentially driven by Australia's naivety to the low and slow barbeque cooking method.

Reduced Nitrogen Application with Dense Planting Achieves High Eating Quality and Stable Yield of Rice.

Rational nitrogen (N) application can enhance yield and improve grain eating quality in rice. However, excessive N input can deteriorate grain eating quality and aggravate environmental pollution, while reduced N application (RN) decreases rice yield. Reduced N application with dense planting (RNDP) is recommended for maintaining rice yield and improving N use efficiency. However, the effects of RNDP on the rice grain eating quality and starch structure and properties remain unclear. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of RNDP on the rice yield, grain eating quality, and starch structure and properties. Compared to conventional N treatment, RN decreased significantly the rice yield, while RNDP achieved a comparable grain yield. Both the RN and RNDP treatments improved significantly the rice eating quality. The high eating quality of RNDP was attributed to increased gel consistency, pasting viscosity, and stickiness after cooking as well as decreased protein content. A further analysis of starch structure and properties revealed that RNDP decreased the relative crystallinity, lamellar intensity, gelatinization enthalpy, and retrogradation enthalpy of starch. Therefore, RNDP achieved a stable rice yield and enhanced rice eating quality. These findings provide valuable insights into obtaining optimal quality and consistent yield in rice production under reduced N conditions.

Mitigation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in roasted beef patties by cold plasma treatment and products quality evaluation

The cold plasma (CP) technique was applied to alleviate the contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in this investigation. Two different CP treatments methods were implemented in the production of beef patties, to investigate their inhibition and degradation capacity on PAHs. With 5 different cooking oils and fats addition, the inhibition mechanism of in-package cold plasma (ICP) pretreatment was explored from the aspect of raw patties fatty acids composition variation. The results of principal component analysis showed that the first two principal components accounted for more than 80 % of the total variation in the original data, indicating that the content of saturated fatty acids was significantly positively correlated with the formation of PAHs. ICP pretreatment inhibited the formation of PAHs by changing the composition of fatty acids, which showed that the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased and the total amount of monounsaturated fatty acids increased. Sensory discrimination tests demonstrated there were discernable differences between 2 CP treated samples and the controls, utilization of the ICP pretreatment in meat products processing was expected to achieve satisfying eating quality. In conclusion, CP treatment degraded PAHs through stepwise ring-opening oxidation in 2 reported pathways, the toxicity of PAHs contaminated products was alleviated after CP treatment.

Preference of consumers from the Western Cape Province of South Africa for pear eating quality and appearance

Preference of consumers from the Western Cape Province of South Africa for pear eating quality and appearance

Consumer eating quality and physicochemical traits of pork Longissimus and Semimembranosus differed between genetic lines

Pork eating quality is affected by various factors. In this study, Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles from seven genetic lines (PM-LR – Pure maternal, Landrace-type; PM-LW – Pure maternal, Large White-type; PM-D – Pure maternal, Duroc-type; PT-D – Pure terminal, Duroc-type; PT-LW – Pure terminal, Large White-type; PT-LR - Pure Terminal, Landrace-type; Comp-P × LW × D - Composite Terminal – Pietran × Large white × Duroc) were analyzed for pH, intramuscular fat (IMF) content, and collagen content and solubility. A consumer sensory test using check-all-that-apply (CATA) and biometric approaches was also conducted. The results showed that the IMF content of line PM-D was the highest (P = 0.004), while line PT-LW received the highest score in tenderness, liking of flavor, purchase intent, and quality grading (P < 0.05). Line PM-LR and PT-LR showed the lowest IMF content and were least preferred by consumers. Compared to LTL, SM showed higher pH, collagen solubility, and sensory scores in tenderness, juiciness, liking of flavor, and overall liking (P < 0.05). Different muscles and lines were associated with different CATA terms but not with differences in consumer emotional responses. pH positively influenced tenderness, juiciness, and overall liking (P < 0.05), but IMF and collagen had little effect. The flavor was the most important sensory attribute contributing to overall liking, followed by tenderness. Genetic line and muscle affected pork chemical properties and eating quality. The findings are important for the Australian pork industry to improve the eating quality of their products.

Combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses reveal the mechanism of abundant bioactive compounds and high antioxidant activity in germinated weedy rice.

Germinated brown rice has recently garnered widespread attention due to its high nutritional value. Previous research demonstrated that the bioactive components and functional properties of germinated brown rice varieties exhibit significant differences. Three germinated rice cultivars weedy rice WR04-6 (WR) and two cultivated rice cultivars with superior eating quality, Koshihikari (YG) and Daohuaxiang (DHX), were analyzed using metabolites and transcriptome profiling. Widely targeted metabolomics results showed that 85.9% and 71.2% of differential metabolites for WR vs. YG and WR vs. DHX were enriched in WR, respectively. The substances mainly included amino acids and derivatives, carbohydrates and its derivatives, organic acids and its derivatives, and flavonoids. Higher antioxidant activity was detected in WR compared to cultivated rice in metabolome analysis. Transcriptome analyses indicated that 18 responsive genes played pivotal roles in the conversion of key metabolites. These findings will provide theoretical underpinnings for the development of rice germplasm resources and the formulation of functional germinated grain foods.

Balanced Nitrogen Reduction for Improved Grain Yield and Eating Quality in Mechanically Transplanted Hybrid Indica Rice

Balanced Nitrogen Reduction for Improved Grain Yield and Eating Quality in Mechanically Transplanted Hybrid Indica Rice

Ageing of Australian lamb beyond 14 days does not further improve eating quality

Limited studies are available assessing the impact of extended ageing on lamb eating quality of a wide range of cuts. From lamb (n = 153) and young mutton (n = 40) carcasses, seven cuts (eye of rack, eye of shoulder, knuckle, loin, outside, rump and topside) were collected and aged based on three ageing times (5, 14 or 21 days). Additionally, residual glycogen was determined from the loin at the corresponding ageing time. Untrained consumers assessed samples for tenderness, juiciness, flavour liking and overall liking. Increasing ageing time from 5 to 14 or 21 days significantly improved cut eating quality; however, ageing beyond 14 days showed no additional benefit. The ageing effect reduced when corrected for pH and temperature measurements, confirming ageing can improve eating quality when pH and temperature variation exists. Loin residual glycogen had no impact on eating quality at each ageing time. Our results confirm the importance of establishing optimum ageing times for cuts to ensure the highest consumer acceptability.